Chasing Shadows
by Tori of Lorien
Summary: Jeff Hardy is facing his last Wrestlemania before dedicating his life to his family. But danger is ever-present and nothing is what it seems as someone is determined to make sure that it's his last appearance. Jeff/Beth.
1. Prologue: Mad World

**Chasing Shadows**

**Summary**: Jeff Hardy is facing his last Wrestlemania before dedicating his life to his family. But danger is ever-present and nothing is what it seems as someone is determined to make sure that it's his last appearance. Jeff/Beth.

**Song**: "Monster" by Skillet

**Rating**: T

**Genre**: Drama/Romance

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing associated with the WWE. (I need a new one of these! Lol)

**Thank yous**: I actually have a couple of important ones I have to make, here. Thank you **Graelam** for creating the character of Max. You did an excellent job, and I hope he lives up to your expectations! **Expect-the-Unexpected75** and **xOallisonqtOx**… thank you both for helping me to brainstorm some ideas for this story and helping it get off the ground. I appreciate it VERY much! And of course, to all of my reviewers! You guys are all amazing!

**Author's Note**: I'm baaaaack! Lol! Hey! Thank you guys so, so much for reviewing "Fighting Fires" and "Melting Ice." I love all of them, and I'm just so glad you enjoyed the first two stories in this trilogy. Being a trilogy, this is the last one of the three, but you can definitely count on more stories coming from me! Um, let's see, some notes about this story. The main characters are going to be: Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy, Beth Britt, Shannon Moore, Shane Helms (yep! He's in this one!), Randy Orton, Edge, and John Morrison (my first time writing with him too, lol. Bear with me!). Of course, there will be more, as you could see by my trailer, and even more than what you saw there, but these are the main people. Um, none of the guys listed above are actually in this prologue, lol. This is to set up the two new villains, but I hope you still enjoy it! There are pictures of both Brian and Max on my profile under the others. I think that's about it… So, without further ado, enjoy!

Prologue- Mad World

**Artist**: Gary Jules/Adam Lambert

The little boy held the woman's hand tightly as she led him along the uneven sidewalk, finally coming to a stop in front of a plain, stone building. He looked up at its dark windows warily before moving his dark eyes to her. "Do you really have to leave, Mommy?" he asked quietly, a thin line of tears forming in his eyes.

Sighing, the woman knelt down in front of her young son, tenderly brushing a few strands of his black hair out of his face. "Yes, but it won't be for long, Brian," she answered, giving him a small smile for reassurance though her heart was breaking.

Brian frowned. "Why do you have to go? Don't you love me?"

The woman's expression saddened as she fought to hold back tears. "Of course I love you! Mommy just isn't able to give you everything you need right now," she explained gently. "When I am able to, I will come for you."

"Does Daddy love me?"

This caused a thin line of tears to form in the woman's eyes as she bit her bottom lip. She had never told the boy much about his father since the memories had been too painful. She had been thrilled when she had learned she was pregnant with her first child, but he… he had wanted nothing to do with him, even going as far as demanding her not to even have the child. This, of course, had been out of fear since he had only been seeing her while his wife was away on business, and in his rage, he had completely deserted her and her unborn son.

But she hadn't listened to him. She had the child despite his violent outburst, and now, her son's dark eyes were gazing at her almost pleadingly, longing for an answer. "I love you," she whispered. "And that's what's important." She ran her fingers lovingly over his cheek before kissing his forehead. Then, she removed the cross necklace from around her neck before putting it around his. "I'll come back for you one day, Brian, I promise."

Brian slowly wrapped his arms around his mother's neck, burying his face in her soft brown hair. She wrapped her arms around him tightly, pulling him close to her as a single tear fell from her eye.

"I love you, Mommy."

* * *

Brian tightened his hand around the steering wheel as he came to a red light, trying to stop the flow of memories. He hadn't thought about the last day he had ever seen his mother for quite some time…

Despite her promise to come back for him, she never had. Since he was five years old, he had spent every day in that foster care system until he was eighteen when he finally went off on his own. But every day, he had sat by the window, watching and waiting for the one person who had ever truly loved him to return. But every day, she never had. He felt the cross necklace she had given him, a symbol of her promise, against his chest. He had it only for sentimental reasons now, no longer a symbol of hope.

But when he was thirteen, he met the only person who actually cared for him now, a quiet boy named Max Weston. A year younger than his twenty-three years, Max was very intelligent, but a definite loner. He was the only person he ever talked to. He had left the foster care system with Brian when he was seventeen and had shared and apartment with him ever since, helping him to find out all he could about his parents.

Brian didn't like what he had found.

His mother, Stacy Nelson, had been found dead in her apartment a couple of years after she had left him with the foster care system, apparently murdered. His father, a man named Eric Howe, was in prison for a number of murders. Desperate to try to connect with his father, his only surviving family that he could trace, Brian visited him a few times in prison, though Max had definitely been against it. He had made a little progress with Eric through his visits, but then, they had lost touch for a short period when his father had escaped, and then finally, presumed dead.

But a couple of days later, Eric had shown up at his front door in terrible condition- burned and scarred almost beyond recognition. Brian had tried to take care of him as best as he could, but there wasn't much he could do without bringing him to the hospital, which Eric had said no to. That was also when he had found out about a man named Matt Hardy, the one who had nearly killed his father.

Eric had vowed that he would get his revenge on Matt, his younger brother Jeff, and the girl with them, Beth Britt, so he, Brian, and Max flew out to North Carolina to settle things. This was the first time Brian had met Brittany Howe, his younger half-sister. He had worked with her in place of their father since he couldn't do much in his condition, and he learned all about her obsession with the younger of the two Hardys. Even though this feud seemed to be started by Brittany having Beth taken to get to Jeff, Brian wondered if there was something that ran deeper than that, and he had still done everything Eric had asked him to do, desperate for his approval.

Brian sighed as he pulled into the parking lot of the motel where they were staying. He shut his car off, leaning his head back against the seat as he ran his hand through his hair. He had no idea what he was going to say to his father now. Not only had he failed at extracting revenge on the three that Eric had specifically told him to kill, but his sister, his father's beloved daughter, had been killed. This was not going to be pleasant.

Finally, he stepped out of the car, locking it behind him before walking toward their motel room, hands in his sweatshirt pocket for warmth as he shivered in the chill of North Carolina's winter. It wasn't anything like in his home state of California… He couldn't wait to get back there when this nightmare was over.

As soon as he unlocked the door, Brian watched as Max quickly approached him. "Everything all right?" Brian asked as he closed the door behind him again. "You sounded pretty anxious on the phone."

Max nodded slowly. "Fine," he answered, though by his tone, things obviously _weren't_ fine.

Brian sighed as he looked at the man he considered to be his younger brother. He hadn't remembered him looking this upset since he had comforted him after his nightmares about his rough childhood with his abusive mother when they were still in the foster care system. "Is he giving you a hard time?" he muttered, nodding to the closed door that led to the next room.

"Not really," Max replied. "He's just... getting increasingly angry about your supposed failures..."

"Well, if he's getting so damn angry, then he can take care of this himself!" Brian snapped, frustrated. When he saw the surprise flash across Max's face, he sighed and ran his hand through his dark hair. "I'm sorry. I'm just under a lot of stress right now..."

Max looked at his only friend with concern. "Are _you_ all right?" he wondered. "What happened out there?"

Brian looked back at him hesitantly. "Brittany... was killed," he said in nearly a whisper.

"You know he's not going to be happy about that," Max muttered with a sigh.

"No, and I'm probably going to get the blame for it since he loves nothing more than his beloved daughter!" That much was true. Though they shared the same father, Brittany had been the one Eric had given his attention to during his revenge plans while he rarely even got a second glance.

Max looked at him sadly. "Look, I know that all you want is approval, but-!"

Brian held up his hand, to which Max stopped. "I'm just going to get this over with," he muttered as he walked toward the door that separated the two rooms. Not wanting him to face the wrath of the other man alone, Max followed after him.

There was a chair in the middle of the dark room. Brian slowly approached the chair with Max, looking at the man sitting in it nervously. His features were burned and scarred, making them hardly recognizable.

"Judging by your face, I can see that you have failed again," Eric Howe said, looking up at his son with a look of what appeared to be disdain.

Brian sighed heavily. "I'm trying, I really am..." he began.

"Not hard enough," Eric interrupted with impatience. "Your heart needs to be in this, Brian. The only way you'll prove to me that you're trying is when they're gone... for good."

For a long moment, Brian didn't say anything as he stared into Eric's eyes, the same eyes that he possessed. He heard Max take a step closer to him in a defensive manner, and he sighed heavily as he looked down. "Yes, Father."

Eric looked at him for another long moment. "What aren't you telling me?" he finally asked.

Brian quickly looked back up at him. "I... I don't know what..."

"I _said_, _what_ aren't you telling me?!" Eric demanded, his voice rising.

Sighing again, Brian slowly met his father's gaze. "It... It's about Brittany..."

"What about her?" Eric seemed to be angry now, even almost worried.

"She... she's dead."

Brian had expected grief, confusion, anger to cross Eric's face. But instead, his father's face remained expressionless, almost as though he had felt no emotion at that statement. Then, his lips moved as though he was trying to say something, but no words were coming out. Brian moved a little closer, trying to understand or hear what he was saying.

Suddenly, Eric's hand lurched out, and Brian cried out with pain as he staggered back when he was slapped across the face. Max moved forward, placing his hands on his friend's arms as he glared at the man sitting in the chair. "So, what you're telling me is that not only did you not do what I told you to, but you also let your own sister die?!" Eric snapped, his dark eyes flaring dangerously.

This accusation struck a nerve. Brian knew that he hadn't allowed Brittany to die, but that he had gotten there too late to save her from her own obsession. "So, should it have been me then?" he asked darkly. "Should it have been me that was shot so you could still have your precious daughter?"

Eric smirked up at him. "Well, she would have accomplished more than you ever will."

"Can't you see he's trying?" Max suddenly spoke up, catching Eric off-guard. "He does nothing but fight for your approval, but you never see it!"

But instead of being swayed by this statement, Eric laughed a little. "Oh, so you _do_ talk..."

Max glared at Eric, but Brian placed his hand on his arm to stop him. "If you see me as such a failure, then you can take care of whatever you want on your own," he said, eerily calmly. "I'm not going to be a part of it."

Eric laughed a little more as he watched Brian gently nudge Max toward the door that separated the two rooms before turning and heading out himself. "You always were a mistake, Kid," he told him in a mutter.

Brian paused for a moment, the statement stinging even more than the unexpected slap had, before taking a deep breath and leaving the room, shutting the door behind him.

**Author's Note**: So, that's it! These are the villains for this story. I hope you liked it! Matt, Jeff, and Beth will be in the next chapter, though, lol. So, thanks for reading! Your reviews are much appreciated!


	2. Chapter 1: Because of You

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing associated with the WWE.

**Author's Note**: I'M BACK!!!!! Sorry it's been so long since I've updated! This story is still being written! But, I've also been writing one called "Forever and a Day" with **Graelam** and "Life is a Highway," both about wrestling, while this one is in being worked on, lol! Um, let's see, thank you to **Graelam**, **x0allisonqt0x**, **-. I .Dream .Of .Hardyz.-**, **BassQueen007**, **ponygirl-loves-mcqueen**, and **dumwolf** for your awesome reviews! I hope you enjoy this chapter as well! Thanks, guys!

Chapter One- Because of You

**Artist**: _Kelly Clarkson_

Jeff Hardy lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling as tears silently fell from his eyes. He knew that if he was discovered awake this late, he usually would have been scolded, but not that night. Not only would his dad not have the heart to scold him, but he knew that no matter what, he wouldn't be able to sleep. No one would. Not that night...

He remembered that day all too clearly. His mother, the one woman who he loved more than anything, lying in her hospital bed... watching tears of indescribable grief fall from both his father and older brother's eyes through his own tear-filled ones. He was only at the tender age of nine. He expected himself to cry, though he tried not to. Not them. His father and brother were strong. They weren't supposed to cry...

Jeff sniffed as he reached up and tried to wipe his tears away, but more immediately took their place as he held his blanket close to him. He missed his mother terribly, her last memories with them continuing to haunt his mind when he closed his eyes. It was terrifying...

He was supposed to be strong and move on, that's what his father had told them, both him and Matt. He didn't think that he would be able to do that quite yet, at least, not alone.

Knowing that he couldn't be by himself any longer, Jeff slowly climbed out of bed and left his room. He carefully walked down the dark hallway, being as quiet as possible, and walked through the open door to the one place he knew he would find comfort.

"Matty?"

HIs brother was lying on his bed with his back to him, but Jeff could tell by his short, uneven breathing that he wasn't sleeping. At the quiet sound of his voice, Matt gasped and quickly turned over to look at him, hurriedly wiping his eyes on his sleeve. "Jeffro... What are you doing here?" he asked, trying to be as calm as possible. It was clear that he had been crying while he was alone, but he didn't want Jeff to see.

"I couldn't sleep," Jeff answered, looking at him desperately. "I'm scared..."

Matt looked at his younger brother sadly when a few tears fell from his green eyes. He knew Jeff couldn't sleep for the same reason he couldn't. "Come on, Jeffro," Matt muttered, scooting over on the bed to make more room.

Jeff immediately climbed onto the bed next to him, laying down on one of the pillows. Matt sighed as he looked back at him, his gaze softening when he saw the fear on his brother's face as he pulled the covers up to his chin almost protectively. There was a tense moment of silence, but then, the younger's next statement sent a feeling of pain through the older Hardy.

"I want Mom..."

"She's still with us, Jeffro," Matt muttered, a thin line of tears forming in his dark eyes. He put conviction in the statement, but it was one he found hard to believe.

Jeff looked at him with confusion. "But I can't see her, Matty..."

"You will if you close your eyes." Matt knew that even though Jeff was terrified of it, he needed some sleep. That would help him the most. "She's there in your dreams."

"Really?" Jeff's green eyes were wide, almost filled with disbelief.

Matt smiled slightly as he wrapped his arm around his younger brother. "She'll always be with us, Jeffro, whenever we need her."

Jeff slowly nodded, comforted by Matt's arm around him. He could almost feel their mother with them in the room now, and his eyes finally closed from pure exhaustion.

Once he was sure he was asleep, Matt sighed and pulled Jeff closer as a few tears fell from his eyes. He had fought to keep his tears at bay in front of his little brother since he wanted to be strong for him, but he felt as though he was far from it. He was empty on the inside with the with the passing of their mother, and his fear mirrored his about what they would do without her. And he hadn't wrapped Jeff in his arm just to comfort him so he could sleep- he also found comfort at having his brother so close.

But then, he felt some kind of warm presence in the room, one that was very familiar to him. Matt cautiously raised his head, making sure that he was still covering Jeff, but he was confused when he saw nothing. He slowly laid his head back down, looking at his brother's peaceful face before his own eyes closed, following him into sleep.

xxx

Jeff slowly opened his eyes, looking around at the darkness surrounding him as he sighed quietly, realizing that he was in the bedroom of the new house. It had been a long time since he had dreamt about the day his mother died. That had been so long ago...

The arm wrapped lightly around him now was not Matt's, of course, but Beth's, and he was relieved to see that she hadn't been disturbed by his waking up. He tenderly ran his fingers over his cheek as she continued to sleep, but then, Jeff froze when his gaze landed on her stomach.

It was three months after Beth had told him that she was pregnant, making her five months along, and she was visibly showing some. Jeff was excited about the opportunity of being a father, but something about the dream he had just woken from made him nervous. What if something happened to him? Being involved with the WWE, that concern wasn't unfounded. Or worse, what if something happened to Beth after their child was born? He had lost his mother at a young age, and he was afraid of the same happening to his own son or daughter.

But then, he calmed down a bit as he gently pulled Beth a bit closer. Nothing would happen, he assured himself. He would make sure of it. Besides, it was normal for a father to have some fears and worries before their child was born.

"...Jeffro..."

A small smile appeared on Jeff's face when he heard Beth murmur his name in her sleep, and he gently kissed her forehead. This was where he wanted to be, he knew, in the arms of the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. They were about to start a family, and that was exciting to him. But it was also nerve-wracking. It was a new part of his life, one that he was unsure if he was ready to accept.

Though he hadn't really voiced these thoughts to anyone, Jeff had made the decision that he would be taking time off from the WWE once Beth had the baby. He loved his career, he loved being on the road, he loved the excitement of being in the ring surrounded by screaming fans, but he loved the woman lying beside him even more. He wanted to be there for her and their child, not wanting to miss all of the opportunities that came along with being a father.

These thoughts made him feel much calmer after his dream, and he pulled Beth even closer, burying his face in her soft hair as he gently felt himself beginning to drift back into sleep.

xxx

Matt Hardy gasped as his eyes snapped open, and he groaned as he rolled over onto his back and sat up, running his hand over his face. He wondered if these nightmares would ever stop. The burning apartment building... Eric Howe... Except this time, it was just a little different. He saw himself punching Eric with enough force to cause him to stumble back, but it wasn't Eric that fell into the flames.

It was the kid that he had seen three months before when he, Beth, and Shannon had gone to Southern Pines, North Carolina to rescue Jeff from Brittany Howe, Eric's daughter. But no matter how hard he tried, he could not get this other man's face out of his mind. He reminded him so much of Eric, especially since he shared the man's dark, malicious eyes. He had the feeling that Jeff had been right. They hadn't seen the last of him.

Sighing, Matt slowly climbed out of bed and left his dark room, looking at the open door that had served as Jeff and Beth's guest room. He missed having them at his house, but he was also glad that they now had a place to call their own. He knew that they were relieved that they no longer felt like a burden to him, and he couldn't deny them that happiness.

Matt then went downstairs to the kitchen, turning on the light before grabbing a cup from above the sink and filling it with water. He drank about half of it before pausing and looking out the window in the direction of his brother's house. He only tore his gaze away when he heard soft footsteps behind him, and a small smile appeared on his face when he watched Lucas yawn and stretch as he entered the kitchen, tail wagging at the sight of him.

"Hey, Buddy..."

Then, Matt was started by his house phone suddenly ringing. He walked over to the counter and looked at the name flashing on the screen, and he was surprised to see who it was and picked up immediately. "Hello?"

"_Hey, Man,_" Jeff said, sounding exhausted on the other end. "_I'm sorry it's so late. Did I wake you?_"

"No, I was up," Matt replied, not bothering to go into detail about the dream he had, but he was wondering why Jeff was calling so late. "What's up?"

"_I... I had a dream about Mom._"

Matt paused before a heavy sigh escaped from him. That was the last thing he had expected to hear. "What about?" he asked quietly.

There was a long moment of silence on the other end. "_The... the day she died..._" Jeff finally answered quietly. The memory was one that was difficult to think about. "_I tried going back to sleep, but I just kept seeing her face and couldn't... I just needed to talk to you..._"

"All right. I'm on my way over," Matt muttered, leaving the kitchen to put his shoes on.

"_That's not exactly what I meant, Matt..._"

"I know, but I don't mind," Matt assured him, opening the closet to get his coat. "Believe me."

Another pause from his younger brother. "_Okay... See you in a bit,_" he muttered.

"See you in a bit," Matt agreed. "Bye."

"_Bye._"

Matt ended the call and went back to the kitchen to hand up the phone. Then, he grabbed his car key and stepped outside into the chilly March air. He started the car and drove down the road that connected the Hardy properties, sighing. He clearly remembered the day that their mother died and had his share of nightmares, as his brother had. Her passing had been difficult for both of them.

Jeff's new house then came into view, and Matt pulled into the driveway. He sat for a moment, thinking of what could possibly be said in this situation, but not coming up with anything. Sighing, Matt opened the door and stepped out into the night, locking the car and approaching the front door.

After he knocked a couple times, the door immediately opened to reveal an exhausted looking Jeff. The dark rings under his eyes and the pale tint to his cheeks tore at Matt's heart, and without a word, he reached out and wrapped his arms around him, holding him close. His younger brother's body was tense under his arms, but he slowly hugged him back, slowly starting to relax.

"Thanks, Matt," Jeff muttered, pulling away.

"Of course, Jeffro," Matt replied with a small smile, taking his shoes and jacket off and entering the living room with his brother. They sat on couch, simply looking around at the artwork painted by the younger Hardy that was mounted on the purple walls. There was a silence between them, but it wasn't awkward. Matt knew that even though he hadn't thought of anything he could say to Jeff about the topic of their mother, his presence was enough.

Then, Jeff sighed as he hung his head, staring at his hands. "There's something else I wanted to talk to you about," he said quietly.

"What is it, Jeffro?" Matt asked, looking at the younger Hardy with a bit of concern.

With another sigh, Jeff raised his gaze to meet his brother's, a bit of uncertainty in his gaze. "Matt... I think I'm going to leave the WWE."

**Author's Note**: Hmm, I'm kinda "eh" about this chapter. But, it'll get better, I promise! You guys saw the trailer, lol. Thanks for reading! Your reviews are much appreciated. Thank you!


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